Highlights from Rand Paul's Reddit AMA

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who is known for his internet savvy, hosted a Reddit AMA ("Ask Me Anything") session yesterday. Reddit, which isn't exactly a bastion of conservative thought, seemed to respond well to Paul's answers and was generally quite cordial to the candidate.

Some highlights:

When asked the AMA mainstay question of whether he'd prefer to fight a horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses, Paul took the opportunity to poke fun at President Obama's lack of an answer to the question in his AMA, and replied that he'd rather fight 100 duck-sized horses.

He also said he gets burritos with fellow liberty-minded politicians Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). "Fighting for liberty does make you really hungry."

Paul stated that he would remove federal prohibitions on marijuana and would permit banks to do business with companies that sell the drug. This went over very well with Reddit's user base, with one replying that he was "fanboying" over the candidate.

On more serious issues, Paul stated that the national debt was the reason why he ran for office and is running for president, and that he's not an isolationist.

On Reddit, users "upvote" comments they like, and "downvote" ones they do not. Paul's highest-rated comment was his explanation of how he differs from frontrunner Donald Trump; namely, that he has "actual plans and policy," no plans to shut down the internet, and "way better hair."

I think it's good for Paul's image that he's embracing modern and unorthodox ways to reach out to voters. President Obama did an AMA just prior to the 2012 election, and it made him appear human and likable. While Paul is already quite popular among young Republicans and libertarians, it's likely that he gained quite a few new fans through this outreach.